Phoenix Coyotes goalie Mike Smith (41) lets in a goal from David Perron (57), not pictured, as Mark Arcobello (26) looks on during first period NHL action at Rexall Place in Edmonton, Alta. on Tuesday, Dec. 3, 2013. Amber Bracken/Edmonton Sun/QMI Agency

Phoenix Coyotes Mikkel Boedker (89) celebrates with Mike Ribeiro (63) and David Schlemko (6) after the third Phoenix goal on the Edmonton Oilers during second period NHL action at Rexall Place in Edmonton, Alta. on Tuesday, Dec. 3, 2013. Amber Bracken/Edmonton Sun/QMI Agency

Amber Bracken/Edmonton Sun/QMI A

Edmonton Oilers goalie Devan Dubnyk (40) reacts after letting in the third Phoenix Coyotes goal during second period NHL action at Rexall Place in Edmonton, Alta. on Tuesday, Dec. 3, 2013. Amber Bracken/Edmonton Sun/QMI Agency

Amber Bracken/Edmonton Sun/QMI A

Edmonton Oilers goalie Devan Dubnyk (40) sweeps the puck out of the net as the Phoenix Coyotes celebrate their third goal during second period NHL action at Rexall Place in Edmonton, Alta. on Tuesday, Dec. 3, 2013. Amber Bracken/Edmonton Sun/QMI Agency

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Sure, the city is knee-deep in snow and getting brutally cold, but the sun dwellers got to play the Edmonton Oilers.

And when you’re a road team looking for points, there’s nothing better than an opponent who’s hapless at home.

Which the Oilers were.

They lost on their own ice for the ninth time in 12 games, dropping a 6-2 decision in front of a Rexall Place crowd that’s been dwindling with each passing defeat.

About 15,000 and change took in the latest loss.

“We should be a lot better here,” said winger David Perron, who scored both Edmonton goals and was the most engaged Oiler on the ice. “We have to find a way to have a better performance than that.”

The worst thing about Tuesday’s mess is that there was nothing at all unique about it. The Oilers were plagued by the same issues that have been plaguing them for seven years.

Slow start. Low battle level. Sagging after giving up a goal. Defensive breakdowns. All the usual suspects were out in full force once again as Edmonton fell to 9-18-2 in being totally outclassed by the eighth-place team in the West.

“Defensively we weren’t good enough,” said Perron. “When you give these guys some room they can hurt you, and they did.”

The Oilers were riding high, relatively speaking, winning five of their previous seven games after that dreadful 4-15-2 start while the Coyotes had two wins in their last seven (2-3-2) and appeared to be losing a little steam after that 13-4-2 start.

But that’s not quite the way it played out on the ice as Edmonton’s inconsistency remains a staggering problem.

“It seems like it’s been that way for four years now,” said Taylor Hall. “We can’t blame this on a young team any more. I don’t think that crutch is still there. It’s a matter of our attitude — coming into games and starting games well.

“It’s like we try and do a little too much and against a team like Phoenix, if you’re not putting pucks behind them they’re going to make you pay. They’re going to keep in in your end and cycle you to death and that’s kind of what happened.”

It was close enough for about 20 minutes (1-1 at the intermission), then Phoenix scored five of the next six to bury the hosts for good. First, Radim Vrbata and Shane Doan scored 58 seconds apart in the second to make it 3-1, then Ribeiro at 4:46, Yandle at 9:33 and David Moss at 10:15 scored in the third to send the fans home in an ice-cold funk.

Oilers defenceman after Oilers defenceman were exposed in the avalanche.

“That’s about as bad as I’ve seen three or four of our defencemen play, and it cost us,” said head coach Dallas Eakins, who has had to shield his eyes lately when Jeff Petry is on the ice. “With the amount of minutes he plays and the responsibility he’s given, we need more from him.”

There were culprits all over the place, from Justin Schultz and Jesse Joensuu both going minus-3 to Sam Gagner’s 33% in the faceoff circle to Devan Dubnyk’s spotty night to an entire team that remains far too easy to push out of a game.

“In the third we just got out-battled,” said Jordan Eberle. “You go to every goal and there was probably a play where they won a battle, got it to our net and scored. That’s what it came down to. That’s what pisses you off when you come into the room - it’s not a technical thing, it’s not a bouncing puck, we literally go out-battled.

“You can’t have that. You’re sick of coming into the room and finding reasons why we lost. We have to find a way to win.”

Edmonton Oilers taken down by Phoenix Coyotes in 6-2 loss

Sure, the city is knee-deep in snow and getting
brutally cold, but the sunshine dwellers got to play
the Edmonton Oilers.

And when you’re a road team looking
for points, there’s nothing better than an
opponent who's hapless at home.

Which the Oilers were.

They lost on their own ice for the ninth time in
12 games, dropping a 6-2 decision in front of a
Rexall Place crowd that’s been dwindling
with each passing defeat.

About 15,000 and change took in the latest
loss.

It was close enough for about 40 minutes, until
the Coyotes ran away with things in a three-goal
third period rally, exposing Oilers defenceman after
Oilers defenceman in the collapse.

The Oilers were riding high, relatively speaking,
winning five of their previous seven games after
that dreadful 4-15-2 start while the Coyotes had
two wins in their last seven (2-3-2) and appeared
to be losing a little steam after that 13-4-